This invention relates generally to a squeeze bottle dispenser for discharging a liquid foam, and more particularly to such a dispenser wherein, upon actuation, the flow of foamable liquid is distributed across the outer surface of a foam homogenizing element or filter which is penetrated by air transmitted through the filter for generating foam, and a venting means which prevents air ingestion through the liquid product.
Various foam dispensers combined with a deformable container of foamable liquid have been devised for producing foam during each squeeze stroke as the applied manual pressure is transmitted to the foamable product to be dispensed from the container as well as to the air therewithin, the product and air being mixed prior to discharge and both being emitted through a foam homogenizing element or filter which serves to homogenize and control the density of foam discharged through the discharge port. In each of these known foamers, however, the product issues through the homogenizing element giving rise to a tendency to clog especially when dispensing film forming products or those containing suspended solids. Thus, irrespective of the porosity and/or thickness of the homogenizing element, clogging by such liquid products is difficult to avoid.
In addition, prior foamers of the aforedescribed type provide for admission of atmospheric air into the container typically through the liquid product passage so as to permit reexpansion of the squeeze bottle upon release after each squeeze or discharge stroke. Thus, the entering air replaces the column of product in such passage whereupon a portion of each squeeze stroke or compression of the squeeze bottle is necessary in merely restoring the product column to its former level before any subsequent discharge of product can occur.